The War
by The Kinetic Violinist
Summary: When Ben Davidson joins the Patriot Army, Felicity must make important decisions about both herself and the people she loves.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**I do not own American Girl or any of their characters and stories.

**A/N** Felicity is seventeen years old and Ben is nineteen. I know that this is different from the books, but it worked better for me.

**Warning: **This story takes place during the Revolutionary War. Nothing will be in detail, but War may be discussed and war situations may occur in later chapters. I rated this T because I'm unfamiliar with the rating system and want to be safe.

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Felicity Merriman sat on a chair by her bedroom window watching the busy streets of Williamsburg. She needed some excitement. It had been the same routine day after day for years: Breakfast, stitchery, penmanship, dinner, lessons, and supper.

She knew, though, that she should enjoy and take advantage of this relative freedom while it lasted. At age seventeen, Felicity was at the perfect age to settle down and marry. The thought of the restrictions that would come with a marriage made her head hurt in frustration. It also didn't help that everyone she talked with always not so subtly hinted at her perpetual state of singleness.

The only thing she had to look forward to was this boring party her parents were hosting that evening. It apparently was for Felicity to get to know the older crowd of Williamsburg and become acquainted with all the young men. Felicity wished she could be as excited as her little sister Nan, but walking around all evening making small talk with almost strangers was not her definition of fun. Nan, or Nanny as her family affectionately called her, had danced around the house all day telling anyone who would listen how she was going to dance with everyone a least twice, wear her new pink gown, and eat fifteen different kind of tarts. Felicity laughed to herself at the memory.

Felicity was busy thinking about what she would do if she wasn't required to do burdensome woman things when Mary, their hired maid, came in to help Felicity dress for the party. Felicity had chosen her newest gown to wear. It was by far the most beautiful dress she owned; it was soft blue with gentle lace accents lining the hems and stomacher.

"They're here!" Nan shouted up to Felicity in her room about a half hour later. Felicity sighed and carefully unrolled the curlers in her hair. As she left the room, she quickly practiced smiling a charming smile in the small mirror that hung on the back of the door. She'll definitely need it later.

Felicity entered their house's foyer just as her father was introducing his family to some of the guests. She didn't know them and felt her shyer side coming through. For each introduction Felicity politely curtsied.

As each group of people came through the door Felicity carefully scanned them to check for her best friend of many years. She had almost given up hope of her arriving when -

"Felicity!"

"Elizabeth, I was afraid you had forgotten!"

"No, silly, I wouldn't have forgotten you for the world," Elizabeth said, obviously bursting with news. She grabbed Felicity by the elbow and pulled her over to a less busy corner "I just had to make a stop on the way. A stop that concerned a certain dashing young man."

Felicity blushed at her friend's teasing. "Ben and I are just friends, Lizzie. You know that well."

Laughing, Elizabeth sarcastically replied, "Of course, Felicity. Those looks you give him mean nothing at all. Neither does the way you go out of your way to visit him at your father's store."

Felicity's blush deepened. The truth was that Felicity really did like Benjamin Davidson. He had been apprenticed to her father for many years now, so Felicity had seen him often. They had become good friends, and they loved to sit in the store after it had closed for the day and talk about the town, the people, and the war.

The war. It was the only thing that caused tension in their friendship. Ben had his heart set on joining the Patriot army after his apprentice contract was completed with Mr. Merriman in a month. Felicity had tried many, many times to persuade Ben to reconsider his decision, but to no avail.

Elizabeth's next comment brought Felicity's attention back to the present.

"I stopped on the way here to tell Ben to come tonight to help me give you moral support. I thought you would like that."

"Oh, thank you! When will he be here? Is he here already? Did I miss him?"

"Relax, Lissie. He'll be her soon."

Felicity spent the next half hour mingling with the guests. She was talking with her next door neighbor when she saw Ben walk in. He was dressed a little too informally for a party, wearing what he had worn earlier in the store. As always, his long brown hair was tied at his neck in a careless but well-kept fashion. Felicity was surprised to see a worried look on his face.

Excusing herself from her conversation, Felicity made her way over to him.

"I'm so glad you came," Felicity said, hoping she didn't sound nervous, "But what's wrong?"

"Can we go outside for a moment, Felicity? I need to talk to you."

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**A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Please remember to review; I'd really love to hear your reactions.  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own American Girl.**

**A/N** **Thanks to lfassmann, felicityphoenix, and hazel. emerald for reviewing! I was really thrilled to hear from all of you. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

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Ben reached out and took Felicity's hand. He led her out of the party room and into the quieter halls. The hushed quiet of the house was disrupted by their footsteps falling loudly on the wooden floors. Each thunk of a shoe heel seemed to say, "Hush! You're disturbing the peace…"

They entered the back garden through the back door. After steering them both over to the stone bench that sat framed by flowers, he sat down without a word. Felicity followed suit and asked, "Whatever is the matter?"

Ben didn't answer for a minute and just stared out at the darkening gardens. The half-shadow cast on his face from the glowing windows of the house gave him a pale, haunted look that almost made Felicity shiver.

Suddenly his gaze snapped back to Felicity.

"I… I'm leaving a month early. I'll be traveling to Yorktown early tomorrow morning to join with the other Patriots of the area."

"No! You can't!" Felicity cried, the shock of his words coursing painfully through her. Then, composing herself, she said quietly, "I shall miss you terribly, Ben. But I know this is something you need to do. How I wish you weren't going!"

"I'm sorry, Lissie, but I have made the decision and I have to go now," he said and looked away from her with a sigh. "It may be a long time until we'll see each other again, but I promise you that I'll be careful."

He turned away from her to stand, but hesitated. Felicity's breath caught as Ben turned back to face her, leaning in slightly. Will he kiss me? Does he love me?

Instead Ben simply gave her a quick hug and stood up.

Face burning with disappointment and embarrassment, Felicity watched him carefully step through the plants and leave through the side gate. She sat there for a minute, still shocked. She had prepared herself for Ben leaving a month from now, but this was way, way too early.

Then the tears came, uncertain at first, then pouring out with fluidity. So many stories had reached her ears over the years of the war. They were stories of husbands, sons, and beloveds never returning, or returning terribly wounded. The possibility of never seeing Ben again suddenly felt more real than it ever had. He wouldn't always be there waiting for her in Father's store to listen to her silly, trifling problems, or be there to walk her home in the evenings. And, worst of all, Benjamin Davidson would never know she, Felicity Merriman, loved him.

It was late by the time Felicity managed to dry her tears. Judging by the bustle in the front of the house, the party was nearly over, and many guests were leaving. Felicity moved quietly to the foot of the stairs. There she paused, the guilt of not going to find Elizabeth before she left washing over her. But talking about what just happened would surely reduce her to tears once more. Her best friend would just have to wait until tomorrow.

Even exhausted as she was, Felicity knew that sleep wasn't currently an option. She sat at the window seat in her bedroom, her head resting on the cool glass, and stared down at the line of horses and carriages waiting to leave. And as each guest departed, and as the crowd grew ever smaller, Felicity felt more and more alone.

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**A/N Thank you for reading! Please review if you have a minute!**


	3. Chapter 3

******Disclaimer: I do not own American Girl.**

**Hello, dear readers! Thank you all for reading and reviewing. It really means a lot to me. Enjoy this next chapter!**

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It was a foggy morning. The houses and trees were all thickly enveloped in puffy white.

So it was this whiteness that Felicity saw when she awoke the next morning. She had fallen asleep at the window with her head propped up against the glass. Confused at first, she blinked her eyes sleepily. She checked the time; it was nearly six o'clock. _Too early_, thought Felicity, _for a gloomy morning_. She began undressing down to her shift so that she could climb into bed and get a proper rest. She was just pulling back the covers when she remembered. He was leaving this morning. _How on earth could I have forgotten?_ Felicity yelled to herself.

Now fully awake, Felicity's mind raced._ Ben said he was leaving early, so he has probably already halfway there_,_ but if Ben won't stay with me, I'll stay with Ben,_ she thought resolutely.

It was decided. Felicity was following Ben to Yorktown. She didn't know what she'd say to him when she got there, but after a few minutes of thought she decided that her best chance of finding him was to get into the patriot camp, disguised. Her mind screamed at her, telling her that it was selfish of her to leave her family without notice, just because of some boy. Everyone will be sick with worry.

Sighing, Felicity began to make a mental list of supplies she would need. She'd need food and money for the trip to Yorktown. But most importantly, she'd have to change her appearance if she was planning to get into any army camps.

Quietly, Felicity crept downstairs. The house was, thankfully, still quiet. She continued on to the back of the house where the laundry was done. It was nearing wash day, so the baskets of her family's dirty laundry were filled. Wrinkling her nose at the stale smell of the room, Felicity plunged her arms into the clothing up to her elbows and rummaged around.

A minute later she straightened victoriously, her little brother's brown breeches clutched in her hand. Felicity held them up to her waist. To her surprise, they looked about her size.

_Since when did my baby brother get so tall?_ she thought with a smile. Without hesitation she pulled them on.

Fifteen minutes later Felicity emerged from the wash room fully dressed in her brother's clothes. Her next stop was the kitchen. She took only a few pieces of fruit and a loaf of bread. After a moment of thought, Felicity took a small knife as well.

Felicity slipped back into her room to make the final altercations to her appearance. Taking a long, white linen sash, she bound her chest to make her front look flatter. It worked pretty well since Felicity was pretty petite in that way.

Then, with a sigh, she reached up and let down her red hair. It fell all the way down to her waist, curling beautifully at the ends. Felicity gathered her hair at the base of her neck tightly with the most plain and masculine ribbon she could find in her drawers. Quickly, so that she would have no time to change her mind, she reached back and made a clean, straight cut through her hair with the knife. Felicity gasped half from shock at what she had just done and half at the amazingly free feeling she now had.

She gathered her necessities together in an old flour sack from the kitchen and turned to leave her room. A second gasp escaped her lips when she caught her reflection in the mirror on the back of the door. Felicity never knew she could look so…boyish. With the men's collar and sloppily done hair, Felicity looked so different from the girl practicing her smile the night before.

_I barely even recognize myself,_ Felicity thought, as she walked out of her room and house, leaving her old self behind.

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**Please review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own American Girl or any of the American Girl Characters and stories.**

**Thank you to everyone who read and to those who took the time to review. You are all awesome! **

**TheAngelofIego: I didn't think of that! I'm really happy that you enjoyed reading! By the way, your avatar picture is amazing. Yay Star Wars!  
**

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The roads coming in and out of Williamsburg were just beginning to fill up with travelers and tradesmen. Some of the men she recognized from their dealings in father's store, but she dared not greet them, lest they remember her. Other travelers walked or rode on horseback with bundles of belongings behind them.

Felicity was one of those traveling people. Disguised in her young man's clothes and carrying her sack of necessities over her shoulder, she blended in without any trouble. As she passed the folks with horses, though, she felt a pang of homesickness for her own beautiful horse, Penny. She had briefly considered taking Penny along to help with the war effort, since the patriot army probably would snatch up any horse it was offered. But Felicity just couldn't do than to Penny. She would be much safer in her stable in Williamsburg.

But despite all her worries, Felicity felt free for the first time in a very long while. She whistled and hummed, ran for a short while, and ate breakfast while walking; no one even glanced her way once. She decided that she'd try and do more running and exercising to build up some strength and muscle so that she'd make a more convincing boy.

From listening to Ben talk about Yorktown, Felicity could estimate the walk to be about four hours, which would mean that she'd arrive there at a little before midday. As for what to do once she got there, she had only a remote plan. It probably wasn't the best idea to just walk up to a shop and ask, "Have you seen a group of rebellious lads camped out around here lately?" So, Felicity decided that exploring the town on her own would be the best first step.

An hour into her trip Felicity found herself alone on the road. She didn't mind; it was peaceful. Birds called back and forth to each other, and the warm morning breezes of late summer promised a comfortable afternoon.

Running footsteps from behind Felicity suddenly came into earshot.

"Hey, you! Yankee!"

Just as Felicity spun around to look for the source of the shout, a boy came flying up beside Felicity, a grin on his face and his eyes sparkling. He seemed a little younger than Ben, and he had messy, long, dark blond hair and wide blue eyes.

"You're going to Yorktown, aren't you? So am I!"

Surprised almost beyond words, Felicity managed to stammer, "Y- yes. I mean… h- how did you know?"

"You just had a lost look about you," the boy said, giving her a playful, but not so gentle shove.

Felicity was unsure how to react to this so she gave him a weak sort of smile. She couldn't recall ever being pushed like that at any point in her life, playfully or otherwise. If this was how all boys acted, it was going to be a difficult next few weeks. But she was glad that the boy couldn't tell she was a girl.

Next to Felicity, the boy was still talking.

"Do you mind if I travel the rest of the way with you? It's boring by myself," he chattered, "My name's Clayton Vaughn."

He held out his hand.

For the second time in less then five minutes, Felicity was at a loss as to what to do. She had never been taught about a gentleman's etiquette at Miss Manderly's lessons, so she only knew about curtsies and mumbled greetings. A lady never shook hands.

Awkwardly, Felicity took his hand and tried her best to copy his firm shake. She realized a little too late that she should have introduced herself as well.

"I'm… William Coleman," Felicity smiled at the combination of her and her best friend's last names. Also, she was sure her brother wouldn't mind sharing his name for a little while. "And I don't mind some company either."

Conversation soon came easily for the two new friends. Felicity learned that Clayton was from a nearby town and had just set out that morning as well. He was barely eighteen, but, like Ben, had planned to join the patriots for years.

Felicity was relieved that she would already have a friend in a camp of strange young men. _Except Ben will be there. I absolutely cannot wait until I see Ben again!_ Felicity thought with a thrill of excitement.

At midday they arrived in Yorktown. Felicity had never seen it before, so she stopped at the top of the hilly road that would take them down to the main street. Houses made up most of the buildings, and, beyond them, there were fields that were just out of sight of the town.

"Aye," said Clayton as an answer to Felicity unsaid question, "That's where our fellow men will be camped, Will."

With a determined face and her new friend by her side, Felicity walked down to the unexplored town.

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**Once again, thank you for reading and reviewing!**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own American Girl or any of the American Girl Characters and stories.

**A/N Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. **

**Enjoy this next chapter! I'll have the next one up soon.  
**

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The walk through Yorktown frightened Felicity, but she was careful to hide her feelings from Clayton. The streets seemed wider and the buildings appeared to be many stories higher than those in Williamsburg. Noise seemed also seemed to be a constant nuisance in Yorktown; vendors yelled out to the shoppers, and restaurants and taverns were filled to capacity. Suppressing a look of distaste, she tried her best to carry herself as if she pushed trough bustling and rowdy crowds all the time.

It was a relief when her friend pointed to a relatively welcoming looking tavern.

"Let's get a bite to eat, eh," he said.

With a nod of her head, Felicity dodged a few carts and stepped inside the building.

It was dimly lit and, like the rest of the town, filled with people. Back in Williamsburg, Felicity had never been inside a public eatery; her father and mother never allowed it, saying the atmosphere would be much too tiring for a young lady. Looking around, Felicity could see that her parents were right. But she was young _man_ now, so Felicity had no doubt that she could handle it.

After some jostling, Felicity found herself seated at a small table adjacent to a window. She glanced over at Clayton seated across from her. He had an amused look on his face.

"What?" she asked, a little annoyed that the look seemed to be directed at her.

"You just look uncomfortable sitting like that. Are you nervous about something?"

Felicity blushed slightly as she realized that she was sitting on the edge of her chair with her back washboard straight. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, just as a lady's should be.

She slid back into her chair and leaned one arm on the table, hoping that it looked more natural that it felt.

"I guess I am a little nervous," she replied hastily to Clayton, "This is my first time in a large town, you know."

Clayton nodded understandingly and began scanning the menu for the day's food options. She watched as Clayton called over a harassed looking waiter.

"What can I do for ya?" the waiter croaked in a gravelly voice.

Felicity's mind wandered as Clayton ordered food for both of them. Ben… she'd see her Ben again soon. She imagined him over in the camp fields, happy that he was fulfilling his dream despite the danger. He was probably preparing for the rough times ahead, although he was totally unaware of the surprise he was going to have in a short time.

Across the table, Clayton was finished ordering for them both and was engaged in a conversation with a man at the table beside theirs. Felicity pulled herself out of her musings and pricked up her ears at their conversation. They were speaking of the soldiers camped out in the fields.

"Aye, quite the crowd they have up there," the fellow customer was saying, gesturing in the direction of the fields beyond the town, "But they're starting to clear out. You lads will just catch the last group before they leave. The others left earlier in the morning."

_What?_ Felicity suddenly felt ill. _Ben! _ If the man was speaking the truth, the chance of Ben still being in Yorktown was very slim since he must have arrived mid morning._ How will I find him now? And what will happen to me?_ Felicity thought with a silent groan.

She turned to the man and asked earnestly, "Do you happen to know if everyone is headed to the same location?"

He shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but the word has been that some are going north, and others are staying closer around these parts. That said though, if you lads are looking for someone, good luck. I doubt you'll find them in such a large number of men. I have heard many sad stories about those who have tried."

That was what she was afraid of.

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**Thank you for reading. Review please! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own American Girl or any of the American Girl Characters and stories.**

**A/N Thank you to each and every one of you who read this fic!. Even more thanks to those of you who reviewed. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!**

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Felicity was silent during the walk out of Yorktown. Clayton seemed to understand her need to think and didn't press her to talk, and for that Felicity was grateful.

_I should turn back while I still can. There's no point in staying. Ben is far away, and someone like me, a weak girl, won't last a day in an army camp. What on earth was I thinking? _Felicity thought, taking out her frustration by kicking a rock on the path. _All I wanted was to see Ben one more time._

Unbidden tears filled her eyes. She hastily blinked most of them back, but after checking that Clayton wasn't looking, she wiped her sleeve across her eyes.

Once composed, Felicity gazed around at her surroundings. She had been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed that they were now completely outside of the town. Their destination was not yet in sight, but Felicity could tell they were nearing it quickly because of the murmur of voices that was getting louder and louder.

Felicity and Clayton rounded the last corner of the path. There it was. The Patriot camp.

Or what was left of it. Supplies were gathered in carts being pulled by horses, cooking fires were extinguished, and more men then Felicity had ever seen in one place were marching away from them in a rag tag formation.

"They're leaving!" Clayton said, running out into the field after them. Felicity stood rooted to the spot, staring out at the soldiers. This was her chance to turn back. She could just tell Clayton to go on without her, and she could go home.

Twenty paces out in the field he turned around. Seeing that Felicity hadn't moved, Clayton called, "Come on, Will. We have to catch up to them!"

"I…," Felicity began. She thought of her safe home and her frantic with worry family. If she went home now she could sneak back into the house before anyone noticed… All would be forgotten and she could go back to her normal life.

Her normal life. That was the problem. The restrictions she would face would be everywhere. This was her opportunity to escape from the pressures of being a gentlewoman. At least for a while.

Felicity looked out at the field of marching patriot soldiers and thought of Ben.

Yes. Yes, she could do this.

She walked a few steps toward Clayton, and then broke into a run.

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It was night. Felicity lay on her back, gazing up at the stars. Her new comrades were scattered around her, either fast asleep or lost in thought like Felicity.

The day's march to the new location was hard work. Felicity was sure she had never felt so sore in her life, even after that time she had fallen of her horse, Penny.

To make transporting supplies easier, the soldiers were divided into groups of a hundred or so, and each group carried different supplies. Felicity and Clayton, after catching up to the men who were bringing up the rear, were immediately handed large bulky sacks to carry. Inside there was mostly food, but there was also some cooking supplies mixed in as well, which made them very heavy.

To Felicity's surprise, the other soldiers in the group turned out to be promising friends. There was Ted, who was the most enthusiastic young patriot Felicity had ever met; Richard, a middle aged and thoughtful man; and Sam, a young boy about Felicity's age, who was shy but friendly. They talked and joked the whole way.

Of course, there were no other women there. Felicity was okay with that.

A yawn brought Felicity out of her memories of the day and reminded her of how tired she was. She took a deep breath of clean night air. Rolling over to get more comfortable on the ground, she pulled up her thin blanket and closed her eyes.

A small smile crossed her face before Felicity fell asleep. She had done it. Felicity had completely broken out of her restricting old life.

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**A/N Please review if you have a moment; I'm thrilled by any feedback I get!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own American Girl or any of the American Girl Characters and stories.**

**A/N** **Hello everyone! Here is a slightly longer chapter than usual; I hope you enjoy.  
**

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Night had fallen in Williamsburg. An exhausted Mr. Merriman sat at the dining room table, his head in his hands. She was still missing. Lissie had still not returned. When she did not turned up for breakfast, nobody had thought anything of it. Felicity often used the early mornings to care for the horses or to go on long walks through the town, so everyone went on with their day.

It wasn't until the midday meal when Nan worriedly asked her mother about Felicity. Mrs. Merriman had immediately called throughout the house, and, when receiving no answer, collected her children and visited Mr. Merriman's store with the hopes that their search would end there.

But Felicity could not be found there or at the Cole's or in the Merriman's stables. Mr. Merriman rode for hours all over town searching, only giving up when the sun set. After a stop at the local newspaper office to place a missing persons ad, he returned home to a somber house.

Now that he had time to think and reflect on the day's happenings, Mr. Merriman began to worry more and more about his eldest daughter. She must had left very early, for nobody heard her depart. Yes, she left on her own, Mr. Merriman firmly told himself_._ He couldn't bear the thought that Felicity could have been taken against her will while she was on a walk. It was just too terrible.

Mr. Merriman was startled by a light touch on his shoulder. His wife sat down in the dining chair next to him, a sad, meant to be reassuring smile on her tired face.

"They're finally all asleep," she said softly. "Nan especially is so upset. It is so unlike Felicity to do such a deed. I do believe she will return soon."

Mr. Merriman sighed. "I hope that is what will come to pass, dear. Thinking of her out there somewhere, alone, makes me very, very afraid."

Mrs. Merriman nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek.

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Elizabeth Cole fidgeted all throughout tea. She was seated on a frilly chair on the sunny porch in her friend Susanna's large home in the outskirts of Williamsburg. Susanna and her other sophisticated English friends were chattering spiritedly about the newest this and the newest that while they nibbled on biscuits and cakes. Elizabeth's best friend had been missing since yesterday, and all they cared about was the season's most glamorous hats.

"Elizabeth!" Susanna gushed. "Do tell us where you bought your slippers. Is that real silk?"

"Yes…" Elizabeth replied absentmindedly. "I got them at the new shop on Main Street while shopping with Felicity…"

She frowned. Thinking of Felicity made her want to fling her napkin away and start searching for her friend. Ever since the Merrimans had stopped by the Cole's house the other day to tell her family the news of Felicity's disappearance, Elizabeth had been worried sick. But now she had a hunch about where Felicity might be.

It all started when Elizabeth first arrived at Susanna's house. To her friends' credit, they almost immediately noticed the change in her spirit. They inquired about the reason for Elizabeth's worry, and Elizabeth retold yesterday's events.

Julia, who had a reputation of being a hopeless romantic, had immediately exclaimed, "Oh, it's obvious, isn't it? Felicity has run after a boy. Young ladies never just run away for no reason. There's always a boy involved."

Elizabeth had dismissed the idea as silly and too impulsive of a thing for even Felicity to do, but now that she gave it some thought, she decided that the theory wasn't as impossible as she first imagined. Hadn't Felicity talked with Ben the night before she left? Felicity had been sweet on Ben for as long as Elizabeth could remember. But running away with him, without even saying something to her best friend? That was definitely unlike Felicity. Anyway, Elizabeth knew that Ben had just left to join the patriot army, a long time dream of his.

Not being able to stand the tea atmosphere any longer, Elizabeth politely excused herself and left the porch. She walked slowly back to the street and made a left turn onto it, not really in a hurry to get home. The wind had picked up since earlier, but the air was still a pleasant temperature.

Just as Elizabeth was reaching up to adjust her hat, a particularly strong gust whipped it off her head. Making an annoyed sigh, Elizabeth turned around and broke into a slightly unladylike jog. She caught up to her hat quickly and snatched it up before it could fly any farther.

As she straightened up, a flash of white caught her eye. It was a sheet of paper, tumbling through the air even faster than her hat had been. With reflexes that would have made Felicity cheer, Elizabeth caught the paper before it blew by. She looked at it curiously.

It said "Freedom Gazette" at the top. Elizabeth recognized it as one of the fliers that local patriots secretly handed out. Usually they stayed out of the general public's sight, so it was the first time Elizabeth had seen one up close. She scanned the flier.

"Patriots far and wide to gather in Yorktown: Join the fight for freedom!" the headline shouted. Uninterested, but figuring Felicity would be like to read it when she returned, Elizabeth started to tuck the paper in her pocket. She froze when she saw the date on the top right corner. The gathering must have been yesterday morning…

Felicity gone… Ben gone…

Suddenly, everything made sense.

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**A/N Thank you very much for reading! Reviews inspire me to keep writing, so I'd love for you to leave one if you have a minute.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own American Girl or any of the American Girl Characters and stories.**

**A/N Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Enjoy!**

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"I am glad you are so concerned about Felicity, dear, but that sounds ridiculous."

Elizabeth sighed and turned back to the vegetables that she was slicing for Mrs. Merriman. The two ladies were in the hot kitchen at the Merriman's home preparing for dinner. After her sudden realization of the connection between Felicity's disappearance and the Patriot recruiting date, Elizabeth had wasted no time and went straight to the Merriman's home. She had explained her theory to Mrs. Merriman, but the older woman just refused to accept the possibility.

"But were else in the world is Felicity likely to be?" Elizabeth replied, "Running away is something Felicity would very likely do if she thought it was a good idea at the time. Please pardon me, ma'am, but I think that you should be doing more, like going out and looking for her, not just staying here and posting ads."

Mrs. Merriman stepped back from the cooking pot in the fire place and straightened up from her bent position, wiping her hands on her apron. She moved to stand next to Elizabeth at the table. "I can not imagine Felicity joining a group like that. It's ridiculous. Goodness knows that Felicity is capable of many foolish acts, but I have confidence that my daughter is too much of a respectable young woman to do such a thing."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond, but hesitated. She had refrained from mentioning Ben so far for she suspected that the knowledge would upset Mrs. Merriman even more. Although Elizabeth didn't think that Felicity would run off and get married, she wasn't sure if Mrs. Merriman would think the same. But Mrs. Merriman was Felicity's mother, and she should know the full story. Even if she did react badly at first.

Making her decision, Elizabeth nervously admitted her suspicion.

"Well, there might be one reason why she would have done this…"

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It was difficult hiding her secret. Simple everyday tasks, like getting dressed or bathing, had to be done as discretely as possible or at strange times. But by some miracle, William Coleman's true identity stayed safe.

The long week following that first night of contentment was grueling. The mornings were early and the nights were late, but Felicity made it through, although she was not sure how. The group hadn't stopped moving towards their so far unknown destination since the first day. The pace that was set was fast, much faster than Felicity thought she could handle, but she kept up with Clayton and her new friends just as well as any of the other young men there.

Along with the physical challenges, there was so much she had to learn in so little time. Most of these new skills were commonplace and very mannish. Felicity was constantly observing her fellow soldiers appearances and mannerisms closely, and she then tried her best to apply them to herself. Soon she was shoveling down the evening meal right along with everyone else.

Felicity's slight figure, although it had bulked up a bit with new muscle, and feminine features did not go unnoticed by her friends for long. But to her relief, instead of arousing suspicion like she thought it would, it only earned her a handful of nicknames. Whenever she heard herself called spindly or pretty boy, Felicity couldn't help but smile to herself.

But though there were many distractions, Felicity never let Ben leave her mind. The group would reach their destination the next day, and Felicity worried constantly that she would not find her Ben there. It was very likely they were headed to different places, but she tried to keep her hopes up as best as she could.

That was really all Felicity could do. Just hope.

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**A/N Don't worry, things will be getting more interesting in the next few chapters. I won't make you wait too long for the action :) Thank you again, and don't forget to review if you have a moment!  
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	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own American Girl or any of the American Girl Characters and stories.**

**A/N Thank you to everyone who reads and especially to those who review! I really, really appreciate all of you. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

**Also, I'd like to say that although updates may be erratic, I will not abandon this story. Thank you, followers!**

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Felicity woke to the sound of leaves rustling and sticks snapping. Although the brief military training she had received stressed the importance of a quick sleep-to-action reaction time, Felicity didn't jump up right away. Instead, she blurrily looked up at the peaked top of her one man tent and listened. Sure enough, as the noises came closer, Felicity could hear the light, slightly muffled laughter of Ted, Sam, and Clayton.

She snapped her eyes shut. _Goodness, what I do to keep them happy_, she thought, smothering a smile.

And little moments of fun were really all they had. In the time of the two weeks Felicity had been a member of the army, whisperings of nearby skirmishes, some even told of battles, reached the camp. Finally, to Felicity's carefully hidden dismay, last night a general from the north sent messengers commanding the recruits to stay put and wait. Soon, Felicity and the rest of the men would be placed the general's larger command and become regular soldiers, not just recruits.

Felicity was thinking that the boys were much quieter than she gave them credit for when a grand _crash _came from the left side of her tent. A stage whispered "Ted!" followed. _So much for surprising me._ Felicity rolled onto her stomach and stuck her head out the tent flap.

"G'morning," was all she had time to say. All stealth abandoned, Felicity's friends hauled her out of her tent and onto the dewy grass.

"Come on, we wanna show you something," Clayton said excitedly, walking away from the cluster of tents and towards the woods. Since she always slept in her day clothes, Felicity followed him and the other boys through the trees on a faintly visible path. A few minutes passed, bushes scratching their arms the whole way, before Clayton made a hard left up a steep incline. Near the top, he pulled himself up onto a large rock and reached down to help Felicity.

The view from the rock was amazing- and in the distance, coming from the nearby town, was the general's command.

They were more different from the patriot recruits than Felicity ever imagined. There were lines and lines of men who, although no of them were uniformed, looked as professional as the redcoats. Leading them was a sharp looking man riding the only horse in sight.

Beside her, Ted made a face. "They'll be here by midday, probably. I hope they aren't as stuffy as they look."

Felicity laughed along with them, but squinted at the men although she new it was hopeless to even try to pick out Ben from so far away.

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The boys talked animatedly the entire way back. Felicity followed behind them, not really paying attention to the conversation. Or to where she was going for that matter, until she caught the toe of her slightly too big boots on a root in the path. Felicity fell hard sideways into the middle of a bush. Embarrassed, Felicity ignored her friend's laughs and tried not to blush, but she accepted a hand from Sam.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Felicity mumbled, bending to brush dirt off the back of her pants. A burning started across her back as her initial adrenaline wore off.

"Gosh, really?" Clayton walked over to help Felicity pick twigs off her back. "Your shirt is pretty torn up here."

Felicity twisted around to survey the damage. To her horror, the bush did more damage than she thought; the fabric was spotted with holes and long runs. And the tightly wrapped linen that flattened her chest could be seen plain as day.

Clayton looked up at Felicity with a questioning gaze. "Will?"

Before anyone could say more, Felicity turned around and ran.


End file.
